Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Predicted To Land Righty Fireballer Whose 'Stock Is Trending Up'

The number-two starter Boston needs?
Jackson Roberts|
Jul 22, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Jul 22, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

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Boston Red Sox

Starting pitching is a huge issue for the Boston Red Sox in 2025, and their failure to develop young arms is looming large.

Coming into the year, the Red Sox believed former first-round pick Tanner Houck and former top international prospect Brayan Bello would be potential number-two and three starters. Instead, Houck was one of the worst pitchers in baseball before getting injured, and Bello has been wildly inconsistent.

The Red Sox's farm system does have more promising young pitchers rising through the ranks than in years past, with hurlers like Connelly Early, David Sandlin, and Payton Tolle making some waves this season.

But they may need to continue supplementing that crop until someone finally emerges as a fitting number-two behind ace Garrett Crochet.

That's what Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicts the Red Sox will do this summer. In his Wednesday mock draft, Reuter had Boston selecting University of Arkansas right-hander Gage Wood with the 15th overall pick in July.

"Gage has one of the best fastballs in the 2025 draft class, and his stock is trending up after a strong start against Creighton (6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 13 K) in the Fayetteville Regional final on Sunday," Reuter wrote.

"He could end up being this year's version of Cade Horton if the Razorbacks can advance to the College World Series and give him an opportunity to make a couple more high-profile starts."

Wood, a 6-foot, 205-pounder who can reach 98 miles per hour with his heater, has all the tools one might want from a future top-end starter. And it would make sense for the Red Sox to target a college arm who could help soon, given their desperation to snap the playoff drought.

Arkansas will host the University of Tennessee in the best-of-three Super Regional beginning on Saturday, so we'll soon find out if Wood will pitch in Omaha. The Red Sox, and the remainder of the 30 big-league clubs, will assuredly be watching.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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